SPACE October 2024 (No. 683)
a0100z (principal, Sung Sangwoo) is a studio that has focused on housing projects since its establishment 20 years ago. The architect’s inquisitive personality – which drives him to constantly interrogate the nature of houses, madangs (yards), thresholds, and floors, as well as questioning the essence of those he designs for – compels him to look beyond conventional moulds for a house. a0100z’s attitude toward houses is reflected in its principles: design work begins only after spending time travelling with the client and his or her family, and architectural photos of the finished building are taken only after a year has passed since its construction. The wooden house in a small town where the architect lives is filled with traces of people who became visiting friends after participating in his designs. By reviewing five of their housing projects in Daejeon, Sejong, and Geochang, Lee Kyungah (professor, Seoul National University) traces a0100z’s new interpretations and insights regarding interior and exterior madangs, combinations of standing and floor-sitting spaces, and wooden structures.
Study and porch with jjongmaru of Yeongchungjae. By utilising various meticulous combinations of floor-sitting and standing spaces, a0100z demonstrates new possible directions for housing design. ©Lee Hanul
Madang of Yeongchungjae. Yeongchungjae and Cheongudang represent the most conventional interpretation of madangs in a0100z’s houses. ©Lee Hanul
a0100z’s five new housing projects reveal the studio’s experimental forays regarding houses by showcasing its novel interpretation of madangs (yards), an unusual integration of disparate spaces, and an experiment on wooden housing in a time where concrete is mainstream. Houses are characteristical...
